Control device for hydraulic presses



Oct. 2, 1951 v M, M. BERGER 2,570,092

CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC ERESSES Filed March 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Meyer's /l .Berqery IN V EN TOR.

Oct. 2, 1951 M. M. BERGER CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC PRESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A 7 a Z I W, -l I A TTOENEK MeyerJ/V Bergen Filed March 20, 19-46 Q Oct. 2, 19571 v i M BERGER 2,570,092

CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC PRESSES Filed March 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 :4 TTOE/VEK Oct. 2, 1951 BERGER 2,570,092

' CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC PRESSES Filed March 20, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR.

A 7 TOENE K Meyer's M Berqert.

Patented Oct. 2, 1951 CONTROL DEVICE FOR HYDRAULIC PRES SES Meyers Martin Berger, Youngstown, Ohio, as-

signor to United States Hoffman Machinery Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 20, 1946, Serial No. 655,830

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to an extractor as used in extracting water from wet laundry, such an extractor being disclosed in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 587,961, filed April 12, 1945, wherein a press-tyre extractor is disclosed which is capable of performing an extraction operation on a great quantity of wet laundry in an unusually short time as compared with extracting methods heretofore known in the art.

The present invention relates to controlling devices used in conjunction with the extractor and particularly effecting the control of the main ver tical ram of the press-type extractor to cause it to be actuated and automatically controlled with respect to various positions in the extractor.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of control devices for a press-type extractor facilitating the operation of the vertical ram of the extractor.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an automatic control device for the vertical ram of a hydraulic press-type extractor directly connected with the said vertical ram of the extractor and operating after extraction to position the said vertical ram at a predetermined level to permit discharge of the laundry from the press chamber.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vertical ram portion of a press-type hydraulic extractor and a control mechanism associated therewith and positioned. on the press-type extractor.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of a vertical ram portion of a press-type hydraulic extractor and illustrating the connection of automatic control devices with the said ram.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section of a hydraulic control valve shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a press-type'extractor showing parts of the control device thereon.

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of an air valve shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the automatic and manual control devices shown in Figure 1.

Figure '7 is an enlarged elevation view of the automatic and manual control devices shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a plan view of a cam shown in Figures 6 and '7, and as viewed from line 8-8 in Figure 9.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the cam shown in Figure 8.

By referring to Figure 1 of the drawings it will be seen that a hydraulic extractor embodying the present invention is shown, and generally indicated by the reference numeral ID. A vertically sliding door of the extractor is shown in broken lines in appropriate position with respect to the extractor l0 and is indicated by the numeral II. The design and construction of the vertically sliding door I I is particularly set ,forth in my copending patent application Serial No. 652,375 filed March 6, 1946.

As disclosed, the extractor l0 includes side plates [2 and carries a fluid reservoir [3 on its uppermost or top surface. Fluid is adapted to be pumped from the reservoir l3 by a pump 14 powered by a motor l5 to a master control valve [6. The master control valve 5 is in communication with a cylinder IT. The cylinder l1 carries a vertical ram l8.

Communication is established between the main control valve I 6 and the cylinder llby means of piping I9. Communication is established between the pump [4 and the main control valve l 6 by means of piping 20 equipped with a shut-off valve 20' and communication is established between the pump l4 and the reservoir l3 by means of piping 2|. Communication is also established between the main control valve l6 and the fluid reservoir I 3 by means of piping 22. An enlarged cross section of the main control valve [6 is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawmgs.

It will thus be seen that at such time as the pump I4 is energized by the motor l5, fluid from the reservoir I3 is controlled by the main control valve l6 and may be passed thereby by the piping l9 into the cylinder I! so as to cause the vertical ram l8 to rise. The vertical ram I8 is provided with an uppermost or face plate 23 which in actual practice engages the movable bottom of a laundry basket (not shown) which is positioned in the extractor. Such a basket is disclosed in my co-pencling patent application Serial No. 627,425, filed November 8, 1945, now abandoned. The vertical travel of the ram 18 lifts the movable bottom of the basket and any clothes thereon upwardly into the extraction chamber of the extractor 10 where the moisture content of the wet laundry is immediately removed by the force brought to bear thereon by the vertical ram l8.

When the extracting operation is completed, the door II is elevated and a horizontal, vertically positioned, hydraulic ram 24 (as shown in dotted lines on the back of the extractor [0 in Figure 1 and in solid lines on the back of the extractor ill in Figure 4) may be energized to move the cake-like formation of damp laundry out of the'extraction chamber. This operation-makes it first necessary to' lower the vertical ram l8 so that the face plate 23 thereof registers with the uppermost surface of the laundry basket in the extractor through which the ram is operated. In order that this may be accomplished automatically, the control device disclosed herein has been developed and it is illustrated in Figure 1 as comprising an air valve 25 positionedon one of the side plates l2 of the extractor and in communication with a source of compressed air 26 as by means of piping 21. An enlarged detailed plan view of the air valve 25 is illustrated in Figure 5. The valve 25 may be a three way valve similar in construction to the valve I6 and be organized to deliver compressed air to a pipe 28 when in a lowered position and when in a raised position to permit the escape of air from pipe 28 through any suitable vent port, not shown, but which could be similar to the return pipe 22 of'valve Hi.

It should be understood that before the automatic control device may be employed to stop the downward movement of the press head at any desired point, the manual stop valve 26 must first be closed to prevent rise of the ram after the valve I5 has been returned to open position. If the pump I4 is of the positive type the descentof the ram may be stopped alternatively by first stopping the motor l5 and then operating the air valve 25 as described.

Air piping 28 communicates with the air valve 25 and with the main control valve H5 which is a pressure actuated, piston-type control valve known in the art and available commercially. (See Figure 3 of the drawings.) It serves to normally maintain an open passageway between the piping 20.and the piping I9 which communicates with thecylinder when theair valve 25 is closed. The main control valve it closes the communication channel between the piping 20 and the piping l9 and opens a communication channel between'the piping l9 and the piping 22 to form a return, when energized, as by the application of air thereto through the piping 28 from the air source 26 as controlled by the opening of the air valve 25.

The automatic and manual control of the vertical ram |8 of the extractor is conveniently achieved by controlling the air valve 25. The mechanism for such control is illustrated in Figurel and in enlarged detail in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9. In Figure 1 of the drawings the mechanism is illustrated as being positioned on the side plate |2 of the extractor and by referring thereto and to the enlarged detailed views of Figures 6, '7, 8

and 9 it will be seen that the automatic and manual control means comprises mechanisms for manually and automatically controlling the air valve 25 and more particularly the stem 29 thereof. The stem 28 of the air valve 25, as best illustrated in Figure 7, is normally biased upwardly by a spring 30 to hold the air valve 25 in closed position. This is achieved by the formation of a piston 3| on the lower end of the stem 29 as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that in order to operate the main control valve l6, the stem 29 of the air.

valve 25 must be depressed to move the piston 3| thereon out of registry with ports therein, thereby establishing communication between the air piping 21 and 28, and into registry with suit able valve ports to permit venting of the pipe 28 when valve 25 returns under spring pressure to its upper position.

The main control valve, I6, as shown .in enlarged cross section in Figure 3, includes a reciprocally mounted valve element 32 which has a communicating channel 33 formed thereabout and a secondary piston head 34 formed thereon. A coil spring 35 positioned between the portion of a cap structure |6A of the main control valve l6 and the secondary piston head structure 34 serves to normally hold the valve element 32 in uppermost position in the valve l6, thereby bringing the communicating channel 33 into registry with the orifice in the valve body H3 in which the piping 20 communicates and with the orifice in the valve It in which the piping l9 communicates.

When the air valve 25 is opened, as by moving the stem 29 thereof downwardly as hereafter des cribed, air pressure from the source 25 moves the'valve element 32 of the main control valve l6 downwardly so that the communicating channel 33 establishes communication between the orifice in the valve HS in which the piping |5 is positioned and the orifice in the valve It in which the piping 22 is positioned which is the return line to the fluid reservoir |3 heretofore referred to.

The devices for manually and automatically controlling the position of the air valve 25 and hence the operation of the vertical ram |8 are associated with the air valve 25 and comprise a lever 35 pivoted by a pivot 37 midway between its ends to a mounting bracket 38 which in turn is affixed to the side plate I2 of the extractor.-

A clevis 39 positioned on the uppermost end of the valve stem 29 is pivoted to the lever 36 by means of a pivot 40, on one side of the pivot 31, and an adjustably positioned stud 4| is adjustably positioned in an opening 42 in the lever 36 on the other side of the pivot 31 with respect to the pivot 45. The extreme opposite end of the lever 36 has a seat 43 formed thereon adapted to be engaged by. a keeper 44 which is pivotally mounted by a pivot 45 on the mounting plate 38. The keeper 44 has a sidewardly extending arm 46 which in turn carries a secondary arm 4'! pivoted thereto by a pivot 48 so that it can rise upwardly with respect to the arm 46 but not downwardly. The lowermost, offset end portion of the keeper 44 is pivoted to a clevis 49 by means of a pivot 50, the clevis 49 being positioned on one end of a rod 5|. The rod 5| extends horizontally through a carrying bracket 52 in which it is slidably mounted and has a finger 53 affixed thereon and a coil spring 54 positioned thereon between the finger 53 and the bracket 52 so that the rod 5| is normally biased toward the keeper 44 thus urging the keeper 44 in the opposite direction, by reason of the pivot 45, so that it normally engages the seat 43 on the lever 36.

A main control shaft 55 which, as shown in Figure 1, has a handle 56 on the outermost end thereof so that it can be revolved thereby, is mounted on the side plate |2 of the extractor H] by means of a bracket 5'! and carries a multiple cam 58 on its opposite end, one cam surface being formed on the periphery of the cam 58 and the other being formed on the side of the cam 58. The latter cam surface is indicated by the numeral 59.

It will be observed that the stud 4|, carried by the lever 36, engages the periphery of the cam 58 and it will be obvious that when the handle 56 is turned to revolve the shaft 55, the cam 58 will impart alternate upward motion to the engaged end of lever 36. As the lever 38 is pivoted as at 31 to-the stationary mounting bracket 38,

the effect will be to move the air valve stem 29 downwardly when the stud 4| moves upwardly on the cam 58. When this'occurs, the keeper 44 being normally biased by the spring 54 on the rod 5| connected thereto, engages the seat 43 on the end of the lever 36 and holds the valve stem 29 in lowered position. The air valve is capable of simple manual control by the movement of the handle 56.

In opening the air valve 25, as just described, the high point of the cam 58 is revolved past the stud 4|. Thus, the valve stem 29 is moved downwardly by the initial action of the cam 58 on the lever 36, but it is retained in downward position by the keeper 44 engaging the seat 43 on the lever 36. When such movement has occurred and the air valve stem 29 is moved, the downward movement of the stem 29 causes the opening of the air valve 25 which causes the changing of the position of the valve element 32 in the main control valve l6 of the device. This procedure permits gravitational downward movement of the ram I8.

In order that this valving action can be checked to stop the ram I 8, means is provided for automatically releasing the lever 36 at a predetermined time. The automatic means for releasing the lever 36 comprises a cable 68 carried (see Figures 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7) on the side of the extractor over a plurality of pulleys 6| so that a vertical section of the cable 66 is positioned adjacent the pivoted portion 41 of the arm 46 of the keeper 44. The one end of the cable 60 has a weight 62 attached thereto, as shown in Figure 1, and a tubular guide 63 is provided to maintain the cable 60 and the weight 62 thereon in vertical alignment with one of the pulleys 6| which are mounted on top of the extractor Ill. The other end of the cable 60, after passing over the pulleys 6| at the top of the extractor |0, is carried downwardly and passed over another pulley 6 IA which is positioned to operate in a plane at right angles to the plane of the pulleys 6| and which is positioned on a bracket 64 affixed to the side of the extractor I0 adjacent the lower end thereof. The end of the cable is then affixed to an eyelet 65 positioned underneath the face plate 23 of the ram l8 so that upward movement of the ram 3 will move the cable 60 over the pulleys 6| and 6|A and hence cause the section of cable 69 adjacent the keeper 44 to travel upwardly at exactly the same rate as the ram I8.

In order that the movement of this section of the cable 60 may be utilized to effect the automatic control of the air valve 25, a collar 66 is carried by sleeve or tube 61 positioned on cable 60. Thus a portion of the cable 60 is made rigid and capable of being used for tripping the keeper 44 with respect to the seat 43 of the lever 36. In order that the tubular sleeve 61 on the cable 60 may be held in precise alignment with the secondary arm 41 of the keeper 44, guides 68 and 69 are positioned, above and below the keeper 44, upon the side 12 of the extractor II). It will thus be seen that when the ram. I8 is in uppermost position and the handle 56 is moved to rotate the cam 58 to open the air valve 25 by way of the lever 36 by lowering the valve stem 29, the ensuing downward movement of the ram will cause a correspondin downward movement of the col- W7 close the air valve 25. As this action is instantly effective to permit the closing of the :main con-- trol valve |6 which controls fluid operation of the ram l8, the ram will be stopped at the desired level, for example; in registry with the uppermost edge of the laundry basket (not shown) in the extractor, so that the wet laundry thereon may be pushed out of the extractor as by the hori zontal ram 24. When this action is completed and it is desired to lower the ram the remainder of the way so that the empty laundry basket (not shown) may be removed therefrom and the full laundry basket positioned therein, the handle 56 is again turned which again resets the air valve 25 in open position as heretofore described.

The control mechanism for the air valve 25 also provides for the manual tripping of the air valve 25 and hence the stopping of the ram It! at any position. This is achieved by rotating the handle 56 until the face cam 58 engages the finger 53 on the rod 5|, which action moves the rod 5| and the keeper 4dand releases the lever 36 resulting in the closing of the air valve 25.

It will thus be seen that a completely automatic and manual control is provided by the mechanism heretofore described which facilitates the operation of the extractor and enables it to be operated safely and efliciently by unskilled workmen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

A control mechanism for a valve having a valve stem normally urged upwardly to closed position of the valve, said control mechanism including a lever pivoted to a supporting surface midway between its ends, a seat formed on one end of the said lever and a keeper releasably engaging the said seat, the said valve stem being pivoted to the said lever midway between the pivot and the said seat thereof and a double face cam rotatably positioned adjacent the other end of the said lever for imparting movement thereto so as to depress the said valve stem to open the said valve, the said valve being closed by disengaging the said keeper from the said lever thereby permitting the said valve stem to rise, and means for disengaging the said keeper comprising a depending arm formed thereon, a rod pivoted to said depending arm and supported adjacent the said double face cam and a finger on said rod engagin the said double face cam to impart movement to the said rod when the said double face cam is revolved.

MEYERS MARTIN BERGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 271,409 Brokaw Jan. 30, 1883 826,502 Hanson 1- July 17, 1906 860,948 Wacker -1" July 23, 1907 1,578,234 Ferris Mar. 23, 1926 1,695,848 Higgins Dec. 18, 1928 1,710,698 Green -1 Apr. 30, 1929 1,984,770 Sorensen Dec. 18, 1934 2,034,370 Beckwith Mar. 17, 1936 2,062,196 Stacy Nov. 24, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 666,569 Germany Oct. 22, 1938 

